I'm a prayer for your loneliness
by TheComet63
Summary: Maura gets pregnant after a one-night stand and she's scared she won't be able to have a baby on her own, so Jane decides to move in with her to help her during the pregnancy. But somewhere along the line their feelings for each other start to change.
1. Suddenly everything has changed

**AN**: My first Rizzles fanfiction ever! Yay! I'm so excited! So, I've been thinking about this story for a while now and I decided it was time to write it down.  
>A few things you need to know before you start: this is going to be slow! No actual Rizzles for some chapters. Only friendship. But it will be Rizzles, I promise. Now, about the friendship. As you will realize after reading the first chapter, in this fic Jane and Maura are even closer than in the show. They are always sleeping together tangled in each other, they're hugging, calling each other baby, sweetie, honey and so on. They're basically a couple without the kissing and the sex.<p>

I don't know when this would take place, maybe somewhere after 1x09 (cause they know who Maura's real father is) and before 1x10 (cause Jane didn't shoot herself), but it doesn't matter cause I'm not really following the show's timeline. Also, Jane parents are not divorcing, so Angela doesn't live in Maura's guest house.

That being said, here we go. I hope you'll like it. Please please please review this so I know you're liking it and I can keep going.

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Rizzoli & Isles, Rizzles would be canon. So no, I don't own it. And I would like to own Maura Isles/Sasha Alexander, but sadly I do not own that either.

**CHAPTER 1 – SUDDENLY EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED**

Jane Rizzoli had never been the kind of person who made friends easily. First of all, she had a really bad temper. She was often grumpy and it wasn't easy to deal with her. And second, she didn't really like most of the people she met. She wasn't snobby, not at all. She just didn't have a high consideration for the mankind. And after she became a detective and saw what people could do to others, the dislike she had for the people grew and became almost hate. She just didn't see the point in getting close to someone who would eventually disappoint her, one way or another. She had a few friends, of course. She went along pretty well with her former partner, Korsak, maybe because it was older than her and so they didn't waste time in non-senses. When Frost came along and became her new partner, after the whole thing with Hoyt, they became friends and it was pleasant for Jane to spend time with the two men. Also, she had a wonderful relationship with her brother Frankie. Even if they spent most of the time teasing and making fun of each other, Jane loved her brother like no one else in the world and she knew she could always count on him. What Jane had lacked her whole life, was any sort of friendship with a girl. That was until Maura Isles came along.

When she first met Maura, Jane thought the ME was the weirdest person she had ever met. Who would come to a crime scene dressed like she was about to do a photo shoot? At first, she thought Maura only wanted to impress her colleagues and she didn't see the point in that. But then she realized Maura was just made that way. She loved fashion, she loved dressing nicely and she absolutely loved shoes. Or better, she had an insane obsession with shoes. Also, Maura knew everything. She was a walking encyclopedia, she could go on talking and talking about absolutely everything, and that often annoyed people around her. But Jane learned to like that side of the ME. After a few weeks working together, being the only two women in the Homicide division, they ended up having drinks one night and they became friends.

Two years later, they were inseparable. They had lunch together, they had drinks after work together, dinners and often they had sleepovers at each other's place. So not only Jane had finally found a female friend; in Maura Isles, Jane had found a best friend, the only one she had ever had.

The same was for Maura. Being a little weird and awkward, it had always been hard for her to make friends. In school people tended to avoid her, make fun of her or simply want her to help them with school works. And even after she graduated from BCU, after Med School, she had never found someone who could call her a friend.

When Jane entered her life, Maura's world changed. She had started to enjoy all the little things a friendship was made of. Meals, movie nights, sometimes they even went away for a weekend together. And after she became close to Jane, Frost and Korsak had started to include her in their plans and now they were the closest thing to a family Maura had.

The two women were well aware of the rumors going on about them. Half the precinct thought they were in a lesbian relationship, because they were always together, always touching, hugging and calling each other with pet names. They didn't care. They were comfortable in their relationship and they never cared about what other people thought. Yes, probably they were a little bit too close and yes, neither of them seemed to manage to have a relationship with a guy that lasted more than a few dates…so what? They were best friends. People said that two women in their thirties shouldn't be that close to each other, that sometimes they looked like to teenagers, always holding hands and hugging, but the two women had missed that kind of relationship with a female friend when they were teenager so it was like they were making up now for the time they had lost.  
>Anyway, Jane and Maura were friends and they didn't give a damn about other's speculations on their relationship. They enjoyed the time they spent with each other and that was all that mattered.<p>

That night, Jane, Maura, Frost and Korsak were sitting in their usual booth at the Dirty Robber, sipping their drinks of choice, still talking about the case they just closed. From the case, they ended up making arrangements to watch the baseball game together the following night and a few hours went by.

Jane looked at the time on her watch. "Alright guys!" said standing up and offering Maura her had to help her out of the booth. "We're taking off. See you tomorrow."

Maura followed Jane out of the bar and to her car.  
>"You're staying over tonight?" asked Jane, not waiting for an answer to open the door for Maura to get into the car.<br>The ME nodded. "Yes, Bass has enough food until tomorrow and I'm too tired to drive all the way to my place. I love that house, but sometimes I wish I had chosen a place closer to the precinct."

"No worries." smiled Jane. "You can always crash at my place, you know that. Besides, I kinda like having you around all the time. And Ma likes it as well, she said that since you started coming over this often, my apartment is cleaner and I even started ironing my shirts. Please don't tell her that you're the one ironing them."  
>Maura laughed. "I won't, I promise. I'm glad I can be helpful."<p>

They reached Jane's apartment in only ten minutes. "You always drive like a psychopath!" complained Maura when the car stopped. "I thought that being a police officer would imply following a few basic rules, but I'm pretty sure you have made at least five infractions on our way here."  
>"I thought you were tired and wanted to go to bed as soon as possible." replied Jane. "Come on, let's go to sleep."<p>

After their usual nightly routine, the two women hopped in Jane's bed.

"Hey M." started Jane once they were settled down for the night. "We're both free this weekend, wanna go somewhere out of town? It's been a while since our last weekend away. We could leave tomorrow after the game, or Saturday morning."  
>"Oh Jane, I wish you had told me sooner. I'd love to go away for the weekend, but I have a date on Saturday and tomorrow is already Friday, it would be rude to cancel."<br>"It's ok, maybe next time we have the weekend off together. Now come here." said Jane pulling the other woman in her arms. It was their habit to snuggle into each other when they were sleeping together. "Mmh, Maura, you're comfy, better than a teddy bear or a body pillow."  
>"Technically, Jane, this is impossible." the ME corrected her. "I happen to have bones in my body and that makes it impossible for me to be as soft as a body pillow can be. Or a teddy bear."<br>"Geez, Maura, you really can't take a compliment!" laughed Jane. "Ok, so, let's say that even if a body pillow is softer than you, I prefer you with your bones and everything. Alright?"  
>Maura nodded, smiling, and snuggled more into Jane. "You're really comfortable too. Thank you, Jane, for letting me crash here so often. I really like this."<br>"Mmh, I like this too." mumbled Jane, eyes closed and already half asleep. "Now sleep, Teddy Bear, it's getting pretty late."

Maura closed her eyes and before she knew, she was drifting off to sleep.

-o-

"So, how was your date last night?" asked Jane while she and Maura were having their usual Sunday brunch at their favorite cafè.

"It was…pleasant…for one night." replied Maura. "But I don't think I'll see him again."  
>"Sex was that bad?" chuckled Jane, waiting for Maura to start complaining about the poor guy. Her best friend was really picky when it came to men. She went out for a lot of dates and sometimes she ended up sleeping with them, but none of them were good enough for a second date.<p>

"No, that part was nice. Nothing special, really, but I enjoyed myself. I just don't think he is the kind of guy I see myself in a relationship with."  
>"Did he have some weird disease?" joked the Detective. "Or just bad grammar?"<br>Maura sighed. "Jane, your grammar isn't that perfect as well, but I still enjoy spending time with you. He wasn't good for me, that's it. We're too different and he kept interrupting me while I was trying to speak. But he is handsome, so it was good for one night."  
>"Honey, you have to stop having these one-night stands. I'm not judging you, you know I'm ok with having fun, but maybe you should try to stop agreeing to go out with someone who could be good for you only for one night and start looking for someone who can be good for you in the long run. I'm sure it won't be that hard for you."<br>"I wish you were right, Jane." sighed the blonde.  
>"Trust me, you'll find him one day." smiled the Detective. "Now, change of subject. Are you coming to the Rizzoli family dinner tonight? Ma asked me to remind you. You know she likes having you around."<br>The ME nodded. "Speaking of dinners, I have to go to a fundraise dinner next Wednesday, it's for charity and I said I would have been there. Do you want to be come with me? I know you don't like these kind of events, but I really don't want to go alone."  
>Jane sighed. "Yeah, ok, if you want me to, I'll be your date."<br>"Perfect!" smiled Maura. "Oh Jane, what would I need a boyfriend for? I have you."

-o-

A few weeks later, Jane woke up a Monday morning without feeling Maura beside her. She checked the time: it was 5am, too early to get ready for work. Usually, Jane was the first one to wake up in the morning and she found it weird that Maura was up that early. It was the first night that they managed to sleep without being interrupted by phone calls from work. They had just closed a long and difficult case involving a serial killer that had took away all their energies, so it was even weirder that Maura wasn't still asleep.

Jane heard some noises coming from the bathroom. "Maura?" she called, but she didn't get an answer. "Maura?" she tried again, louder.  
>"Jane…" Maura called, but she was cut off by a wave of nausea.<br>Jane, hearing that, hurried to the bathroom. "Hey M, are you ok?"  
>Maura shook her head. She was sitting down on the bathroom floor, head on the toilette and tears in her eyes. She tried to speak, but before she could say a word, she started throwing up again.<br>Jane knelt beside her, brushed her hair off her face and started rubbing her friend's back. "Hey, hey, it's ok, I'm here. What's wrong, sweetie? How long have you been feeling sick? You could have woken me."  
>"No I…I didn't want to bother you. I guess the sushi we ate yesterday wasn't as fresh as it was supposed to be. And you know that my stomach isn't as strong as yours."<br>"We'll never go to that place again." said Jane, still rubbing Maura's back. "Why don't you take the day off? You can sleep for a while and I'm sure you'll feel better tomorrow."  
>The ME shook her head. "No Jane, I can't, I have an autopsy first thing this morning, you need the results to go on with the case. I'm sure it's nothing, I'm already feeling better."<p>

Jane wanted to insist, but she knew that when Maura decided something, it was impossible to make her change her mind, so she helped her friend getting up and they started to get ready for work, even if it was early. There was no way they could go back to sleep.

-o-

The autopsy was pretty quick, Maura had decided to wear a mask to avoid feeling sick again. She was used to the smell, but it was better not to risk it, considering she wasn't feeling at her best.

A few hours later, she was bringing the results to Jane.

"The victim bled out. He was shot multiple times, none of the bullets reached vital organs, but he was left there to bleed out. He most likely passed out after the second bullet, that's why he couldn't call for help."  
>"Thank you, Maura." said Jane, grabbing the folder Maura was handing to her. "Come on, I buy you a coffee, you didn't have breakfast this morning."<br>Maura smiled and together they walked to the cafeteria. As soon as Maura smelled the coffee Jane gave her, she felt another wave of nausea, and ran into the bathroom, with her best friend following her.  
>"Maura! You're not ok. Go home, the autopsy is done, take the rest of the day off and get better. You want me to call you a doctor?"<br>"No, Jane, it's ok." replied Maura. "It was just the smell of the coffee. But I guess you're right, it's better if I go home now. Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow."  
>"You want me to drive you home?" asked the Detective, concerned for her best friend.<br>"No, I'll take a cab." Maura thanked her.  
>"Uhm, ok." Jane would have preferred to be the one taking Maura home and making sure she was ok, but she couldn't leave, they had a few suspects to interrogate that day. "I'll come over when I'm done, ok? Just, go to bed, have some rest and try to eat something. If you want, I can cook you my mother's soup for dinner. She used to cook it for us when we were sick. Trust me, it will make you feel better."<br>Maura smiled and left the precinct, heading home.

-o-

Jane couldn't wait to be over with the interrogations and get home to Maura. She was worried about her friend. She had texted her in the afternoon, to check if she was ok, but Maura hadn't replied. "She is probably sleeping" thought Jane.

She left the Headquarter at 5pm and drove to Maura's house as fast as she could. "Maura would kill me if she could see me now." she thought with a smile. She stopped at a minimarket to buy the ingredients for the soup and she was at Maura's in less than an hour. Not wanting to wake up her friend in case she was still sleeping, she used the key Maura had given her for emergencies.

The living room was dark and Jane could see a light coming from Maura's bedroom. She put the grocery in the fridge and then headed over to her friend's bedroom.

"Hey M. I'm here." she called, knocking the door, but she got no answer. She carefully opened the door, thinking that Maura was still asleep, but the ME wasn't in her bed. "Maura?" she called and then she heard a soft cry coming from the bathroom. "Maura, are you still feeling sick?" asked entering the bathroom.

Maura was once again sitting on the floor, her back on the wall, but this time she wasn't throwing up. She was crying, holding something in her hand.  
>"Hey, honey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Jane whispered, hugging her friend tightly.<br>"Jane…" Maura sobbed.

"What is it?" asked Jane, cupping her friend's cheek with her hand and wiping away her tears. But the blonde didn't reply, she just kept on crying.

"Sweetie, calm down. What is it?" Jane now was really worried. She had never seen Maura like this. She had never seen her crying that hard. "Maura, please, tell me, you're starting to freak me out."  
>"Jane" the ME breathed once again, when she finally stopped sobbing. She handed the object she was holding in her hand to Jane. "I'm pregnant."<p> 


	2. I'll be right beside you forevermore

**AN**: First of all, thank you so much for the reviews. They made my day! Keep going that way, guys! I'm really glad you enjoyed the way this story started and I hope you'll like it as it goes on.

I just wanna point out something that I forgot to tell you in the first chapter: English is not my first language, so forgive me if there are a few errors. I don't have a beta reader so it's just me and my "spelling and grammar check" on Word. If any of you wants to be my beta reader, I'd be happy.

Anyway, here's chapter two, as I promised, I didn't make you wait for too long. Hope you'll enjoy it. Don't forget to review, it takes you only a few minutes and it really makes me happy and motivated to go on with this.

One more note: the title of this fic and the titles of the chapters are all taken from songs lyrics. If you're interested to know which songs are they from, send me a PM.

**CHAPTER 2 – I'LL BE RIGHT BESIDE YOU FOREVERMORE**

Jane's brain couldn't form a single word. "Whoa…what? You're…what?"  
>"I'm pregnant, Jane." repeated Maura, this time a little louder. "I knew my period was late, but it was only a few days and I thought that was because the last couple of weeks have been hard, we couldn't close the case, we didn't get much sleep…but today, when I felt sick after smelling the coffee, it hit me, so I bought a pregnancy test. It's positive, Jane. I'm pregnant."<p>

"Ok, M, hold on a second. Maybe is a false positive." tried to rationalize Jane. She couldn't believe Maura could really be pregnant. "You're right, the last few weeks have been tough for all of us and maybe that's the reason why you didn't get your period and you feel sick because of the bad sushi and this is a false positive."

Maura shook her head. "No, too many coincidences. And we both don't believe in coincidences."  
>They sat on the bathroom floor in silence for a few minutes, Jane still holding Maura in her arms and with the positive pregnancy test in her hand.<p>

"The guy you last went out with? The one-night stand?" asked Jane after a while.

Maura nodded.

"Didn't you use protections?"  
>"We did." Maura sighed. "But everybody knows they're not 100% effective. Oh, Jane, what am I going to do?"<p>

Jane could feel that Maura was about to start crying again, so she held her tighter and turned to look her in the eyes. "Hey, hey, don't cry, sweetie. I tell you what, tomorrow we're going to see a doctor, so you'll know it for sure. And then you can start thinking about the options you have, ok? I'm gonna be with you, whatever you decide. You're not alone, Maura. I'll be with you every step of the way."  
>"Thanks" sniffed Maura.<p>

"Come on" said Jane, getting up and offering Maura a hand. "I'm gonna make you my mom's soup, you have to try to eat something cause I'm sure you haven't eaten anything the whole day. Then we can either go to bed or snuggle on the couch watching a movie. You need to rest tonight. I'm gonna call Cavanaugh and tell him we're both taking a few days off, then we can have dinner."  
>Maura smiled weakly and took Jane's hand. She washed her face and followed Jane into the kitchen.<p>

Jane called Cavanaugh and explained that she needed the rest of the week off because Maura was sick and she was going to take care of her. He agreed without arguing, both the detective and the ME were rarely taking a day off, so they both had a huge amount of sick days that they could use.

Maura managed to eat the whole soup without feeling sick and for a moment she almost forgot what was happening to her. After dinner, the two women moved to the couch, cuddling together while watching a movie. Jane was playing with Maura's hair and for a few hours everything looked like it was before.

When the movie was over, Jane helped Maura getting off the couch to go to bed.  
>"Jane, I'm fine, I can get up by myself. You don't need to treat me like I'm an invalid." sighed Maura. She wanted Jane to treat her like she always did.<p>

"Sorry." Jane apologized. "I just…I know you're tired and you are not feeling well and I just want to help you."  
>Maura smiled. "I know. Thank you for that. I really appreciate you being here."<br>"Maura, I told you. I'll always be here, for everything you need."

They went to bed when it was still early, but they were both exhausted. Jane held Maura tight in her arms as they were trying to fall asleep. She could hear Maura crying softly, her face buried in Jane's neck.  
>"Jane, what am I going to do? I can't do this alone, I'm not…I'm not ready for this." sighed the blonde in tears.<p>

Jane wanted to cry as well. Seeing Maura like this was breaking her heart. She would have given anything not to see her cry. But she couldn't break down, she needed to stay strong for her friend. "You're not alone, sweetheart. I'm here." 

-o-

"Are you ready for this?" asked Jane, holding Maura's hand in her lap.  
>They were sitting in the waiting room of Maura's OBGYN and they were both nervous.  
>Maura shook her head. "No, I'm not, but I have to do it." She remained silent for a few minutes, and then turned to face Jane. "Jane, thank you for doing this. For being here. I really appreciate your support."<br>Jane smiled sweetly at her best friend. "Hey, don't mention it. You know I would do anything for you."  
>The wait was long. They had arrived there half an hour early, none of them was in the mood to read the magazines on the small coffee table and they were both too nervous for small talks. "God, why isn't it time already?" complained Jane. "These thirty minutes probably lasted like three hours."<br>"You know that's not possible. You can't bend time. It would have been more accurate to say that it feels like they lasted three hours" replied Maura, who once again couldn't help but correct Jane.  
>"Ok Wikipedia. Sorry." laughed the detective. "You can't help yourself even when you're sad, can you?"<br>"I told you before that Wikipedia is frequently incorrect. And I'm not sad, Jane. I'm just…unprepared…and scared."  
>"I know you are sweetie" sighed Jane and in that moment, the girl at the reception called Maura's name, telling her it was her turn.<p>

Maura closed her eyes, took a deep breath and stood up, not letting go of Jane's hand, walking to the doctor's office.  
>After a first awkward moment in which the doctor asked Maura if Jane was her girlfriend (and Maura laughed, the first genuine laugh in two days and Jane was so glad to hear it), Maura started to undress herself to get ready for the visit. She laid down and closed her eyes. She was incredibly nervous. She wasn't naïve enough to believe that the result of the pregnancy test was just a false positive, but hearing it from a doctor made it so much more real.<p>

"This is stupid." She told herself in her mind. "It is real, whether I hear it from the doctor or not. But still…"  
>She took a deep breath while the doctor put the cool gel on her belly for the scan. Jane, who was sitting on the chair at the doctor's desk, stood up and walked near Maura, to hold her hand.<br>"Everything's gonna be ok, honey" she whispered to her best friend. "I'm here."  
>Maura nodded and held her breath.<p>

"Congratulations Dr. Isles. You are indeed pregnant. 5 weeks, I would say. Am I right?" announced the doctor with a smile.

But Maura wasn't smiling. She nodded to confirm the doctor's assumption about the 5 weeks, then she looked at Jane. The detective's heart broke when she saw the look on Maura's face. She looked so lost. She squeezed her hand a little more.

"I guess this wasn't planned." asked the doctor, having noticed Maura's reaction.

"No, it wasn't." confirmed the ME with a sigh.

"Well, Maura, as you surely know, you have different options here. Why don't you take a few days to think about it? But I have to warn you, the sooner you make a decision, the better."  
>"I understand." nodded Maura. "Can I have the ultrasound scan printed?"<p>

"Of course you can." said the doctor, who printed the scan and handed it to Maura.

After thanking the doctor, Jane and Maura left the office in silence, Jane still holding Maura's hand tightly.

The ME didn't say a word until they reached the car. She kept looking to the scan in silence. Jane wasn't used to Maura's silence. The woman always seemed to suffer from verbal diarrhea, for god's sake. It wasn't good when she was not talking. It scared Jane.  
>"Sweetie, talk to me." said Jane hugging her friend. "Please, tell me what are you thinking about. I'm worried when you don't speak."<br>Maura looked at Jane, her eyes full of tears, and showed the scan to her. "This is my baby, Jane. Yes, it was unexpected, and I'm not sure I will be able to deal with all this in the best way, I'm not sure I will be a good mother, but this is my baby. I can't believe I thought about terminating this pregnancy."  
>"You thought about it?" asked Jane, surprised. She didn't know Maura was already thinking about her options. Maura wasn't one to make a decision before being 100% sure of what she was dealing with and before the doctor confirmed the pregnancy, she couldn't have been sure.<br>Maura nodded. "Yes. Since I took the pregnancy test…Jane, you know how I was raised, my family is not like yours, my mother is not like yours. I don't want this for my child, but I'm not sure I can be the kind of mother I want to be, because I never had that in my life. So yes, I thought about getting an abortion. I thought maybe it was the best thing to do, for me and for this child. Nobody should be raised by a socially awkward woman, who doesn't know how to express her feelings and when to shut up. But then I saw the scan, and Jane, this is my baby. It's real. It's a life, even if it's not really a person yet. Even if I can't hear the heartbeat yet. I can't get an abortion."

At those words, Jane felt like crying too. "Honey, you really think you wouldn't be a good mother? Maura, you don't realize that, but you will be an amazing mom. Think about it…who takes care of me? Who makes sure that I eat properly or I get the rest I need? You are. And I know I'm not a child, but you have this way of taking care of people, of giving them love and support…this is exactly what a child needs. If you decide to do this, you will be amazing. I'm sure of that. And you say you don't have a role model to follow, but you have one. You know how you don't want your child to feel, because it's how you've been feeling your whole life. You know what not to do. And that's enough for me to be sure you won't make your parent's mistakes. Besides, you are a fast learner, aren't you?"  
>The ME smiled. "Do you really mean all of this? Do you really think that I will be a good mom?"<br>Jane nodded. "You will be amazing. Come on now, I'll buy you lunch, and then you can think about what to do. That big brain of yours works better if your stomach is full."  
>"Jane, you know that's not true. Unless I were starving to death, so my brain couldn't focus on anything but the need of food, the status of my stomach has nothing to do with the way my brain works."<br>"Whatever you say, Google." laughed the detective. "You want that lunch or not?"

-o-

"I have to tell Michael about the baby." sighed Maura while she and Jane were eating lunch.  
>"Why?" asked Jane, surprised. "Do you wanna be with him? Like, getting married and raise the baby together?"<br>"What? No!" exclaimed Maura, laughing. "Jane, I don't want to marry him. Or be with him. I told you that morning after the night we spent together, he is not good for me. This baby doesn't change that and I would never get married just because of that."  
>"So what? You don't want to be with the guy and you obviously don't need him to support you and the baby cause you're like a billionaire. Why do you need to tell him?"<br>"Because he deserves to know." replied the ME. "I don't want to have a relationship with him, but this baby is part of him as well. If he wants to get involved, we could try to get to know each other better and be friends, be parents together, even if we wouldn't be together. And if he doesn't want to, I will do it on my own, but he has the right to know and choose what he wants to do. Who he wants to be in this baby's life."  
>"Makes sense." mumbled Jane, while she was chewing her food."<br>"Jane, don't talk with your mouth full, please. It's very impolite, and honestly, it's kind of gross as well!" the blond scolded her friend.  
>Jane laughed. "You are already talking like a mom. Told you, you're a fast learner."<br>Maura blushed.

"So, when are you gonna do this?" asked the detective when her mouth was empty, because she didn't want another lecture.

"I will call him later and ask him if we can meet for a drink before dinner. Not that I am going to drink, because I can't. I won't be able to drink for months. I am really going to miss my wine." Maura sighed.

"Let's do this: as long as you can't drink, I won't either. Like moral support or something like that. How does that sound?"

Maura smiled. Jane had been incredibly supportive those past two days. She couldn't believe she was that lucky to have such an amazing friend. She would have been lost without her. The only reason why she was starting to convince herself she could have a baby on her own was because she knew Jane was by her side. Maura never thought it would have been possible for her to feel so connected with someone, to trust in someone that much. Before Jane, she never had someone to confide in, someone she knew that would always stick by her, no matter what. She was incredibly grateful for that.  
>"Jane, you don't have to. Your job is hard and I know you need a beer after work to relax. You don't have to stop drinking it for me."<br>"But I want to." smiled the brunette. "It sure can't hurt me. Now, you want me to come with you when you meet Michael?"  
>Maura shook her head. "No, I have to do it alone. But thank you, really. I will call you when I'm done to tell you everything."<p>

-o-

After she dropped Maura off to her place to get the car and go talk to Michael, Jane didn't go straight home. She went to her parent's house. Since Maura had told her she intended to keep the baby, an idea had started to form in her mind and she needed an advice. But she couldn't go to Frost or Korsak, or her brother, so she decided to ask her mother. Besides, Angela was probably the right person to ask to.  
>"Janie, what a nice surprise!" Angela greeted her daughter, hugging her. She was happy to see Jane, but she knew her daughter never showed up to her parents' home without a reason. "Is everything ok?"<br>"Yeah, I just…can I talk to you for a second?" asked Jane, suddenly nervous. She wasn't sure how her mother was going to react to what Jane was going to tell her.  
>The two women went in the kitchen and Angela offered Jane a beer. Jane shook her head. "No thanks, I…I'm trying to drink less."<br>"Well, that's good for you Janie. Let me guess, Maura has something to do with it. She always takes a really good care of your health, bless her."  
>"Yes, she has something to do with it, but not in the way you think." Jane took a deep breath. "Maura's pregnant."<p>

"Oh, Janie, that's beautiful!" Angela looked really happy for her daughter's friend. "I didn't know Maura had a steady boyfriend."  
>"She doesn't. It was…let's just say it was a mistake…an accident." said Jane, nervously playing with her hair.<p>

"Oh dear. Does she want to have an abortion? Is that why you're here? You want me to talk to her or something?" asked Angela.

Jane sighed. "No Ma, she doesn't want to have an abortion. She decided to keep it. I'm here because…I have been thinking and I decided I want to help her. Like, really help her. I want to move in with her, so I can be there all the time, you know, help her through this pregnancy and later, when the baby comes, she will need someone with her. She will be an amazing mom, but she doesn't believe she can do this. She never had a role model to follow, like I had you. You can be annoying as hell, you always try to intrude in my personal life and it seems like you enjoy criticize me, but you are also the most caring, loving person I know. You raised me well, you taught me everything I needed to know, you always took care of me, Frankie and Tommy. Maura was raised by a nanny and she was sent to boarding school when she was way too young. She never had a family to rely on. And I want to help her build that family for her baby. I want her baby to have me and you, Pop and Frankie as well. Besides, you always say you want grandkids…I'll be Aunt Jane so you can be the Great-aunt or whatever. What do you think?"

Angela was still smiling for what Jane had said about her. She took a moment to think about everything. It was nice of Jane to want to be there for her friend, but she was afraid that all of this would make Jane miss out opportunities to be happy, to create her own family. Angela knew that to Jane, Maura always came first. But her daughter needed to find someone for her, someone to come home to every night, someone to build a future with. Not just her best friend. Unless…  
>"Jane, are you and Maura in a relationship? Is this going to be your child too?" asked Angela. It wasn't the first time she thought that Jane and Maura could be more than just friends. They were always together, spending the night at each other's place, they were constantly touching each other, holding hands, hugging…and Jane called Maura with sweet pet names that Angela never thought could come out her daughter's mouth. The question was legit.<p>

"What? Ma, no! God, why do everybody thinks that Maura and I are together?" snapped Jane. "Why is it so hard to believe that two women can be close to each other without being in a relationship?"

"Hey, I'm just asking!" Angela defended herself. "They way you were talking about building a family with her…"  
>"Ma, I didn't say I want to build a family with her. I'm not going to marry her or adopt her child. I'm just saying that I want Maura's son or daughter to know what is like to have a loving family. And I want Maura to know that as well, since she never had that."<p>

"Ok, ok, I get it." Angela sighed. "Look, Janie, I think what you want to do is beautiful. I know you love Maura and she's an amazing person, she deserves all the love in the world. I just don't want you to put your life on hold because you're too busy playing house with her. She deserves to be happy, but you deserve it too. And if you decide to get this involved with this baby, you won't be able to find a good man for yourself."  
>Jane was starting to feel irritated. What was she thinking when she decided to go seek advice to her mother? "Ma, I don't need a man to be happy, ok? I told you like a million times. Yes, I think I can see myself married someday, but if it doesn't happen, I won't kill myself. And I'm not planning to put my life on hold. I just want to move in with Maura and help her. We won't be playing house. We will be two best friends living together, one of them is pregnant. This is what friends do for each other, right? Be there for them. Ma, if I was the one pregnant, I could count on you and Pop and Frankie. My family. But Maura has no one. I don't think her mother will be eager to support her. She only has me. I don't want her to be alone in this. Do you understand what I'm saying here?"<br>Angela nodded. "Yes Jane, I do. I think you are a wonderful friend. Just promise me, you won't miss your chance if it comes around."  
>"I won't, Ma. So can I count on you? She will need some motherly advice now."<br>Angela hugged her daughter. "Of course you can count on me. Both of you. But tell me, Janie…what about the father of the baby?"

-o-

Maura was nervous. She was fidgeting and she never fidgeted. She was waiting for Michael, sitting in a bar not too far from the man's office, slowly sipping her non-alcoholic cocktail and trying to rehears in her mind what she was about to say to the man who got her pregnant.  
>He arrived and greeted her with a harsh "hi, what do you want?"<br>Maura felt a little offended by the tone of the man and decided to spill the news without too many words. "I'm pregnant, Michael, and it's yours." Wow! She thought. That was direct.  
>Michael looked at her in disbelief. "You're what? You've got to be kidding me!"<br>The blonde woman shook her head. "I would never joke about this. I went to the doctor today. Five weeks. It can only be yours."  
>The man stood quiet for a while, ordering whisky and waited for the waitress to bring it to him before speaking again. "Get rid of it!" he said.<p>

"Excuse me?" asked Maura, irritated. How dared him talk about her child like this? Get rid of it?

"I don't want a child. Not with you. I'm married, Maura, for Christ's sake!"  
>"You're married?" Maura couldn't believe her ears. Michael never said he was married before.<p>

"When I met you at the gym, I thought you were a nice piece of ass and you would have been a great fuck. You're…flexible…but I never wanted more than that and sure as hell I don't want a child with someone who's practically a stranger, so get rid of it!"  
>Maura felt her eyes filling with tears, but she didn't want Michael to see her cry. He wasn't worth her tears. "I'm not getting rid of anything. I will have this baby!"<br>"What do you want? Money?" snorted the man, reaching down for his wallet.

In that moment, Maura felt absolutely disgusted by the man on front of her. How could she had sex with that bastard?  
>"I don't want your money!" she said. "I am perfectly capable to provide anything this child will need. I just wanted to let you know because it seemed fair. You really think that after our night I wanted to get married and have a family with you? That I fell in love with the wonderful person you clearly aren't? You want the truth? You're hot and I wanted to have sex. Now I'm just happy that you're handsome so MY child will have good genes, at least on the physical side. I just hope he or she won't turn out to be a jerk like you are. I came here because it was the right thing to do, but now I don't want to ever see you again. You clearly don't want anything to do with this baby and I am relieved, because I'm not sure I'd be happy to raise my child with an asshole like you as a father." Maura stood up and took her purse, ready to leave. She stopped for a second. "Oh, and don't worry, I've already paid for my drink. I don't want a single cent of your money. Goodbye, Michael."<p>

She turned around and left the bar. She was mad! That stupid, insensitive bastard! Get rid of it. A nice piece of ass. She thought about going back inside and kick his balls with her heels, but then she decided it wasn't worth it. She just wanted to go home and forget about him. She didn't need him. She was going to have that baby without a man to help her. If only she had known before what kind of jerk Michael was…

She got in her car and pressed the speed dial key to call Jane. "Hey, can you get to my place? I'm going home now and I don't want to tell you everything on the phone."  
>Jane agreed to be at Maura's in twenty minutes, so they could order something to eat and discuss the ME's meeting with Michael.<p>

The two women arrived in front of Maura's house almost simultaneously. Maura was strangely silent and Jane started to get worried.  
>"What did he say?" asked the detective once they sat down on the couch.<p>

Maura, trying her best not to start crying, told Jane everything that happened.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH!" screamed Jane when Maura was done talking. "I'm gonna kick his ass so hard he won't be able to sit down for a month. No, I'm gonna shoot him. That's it! I'm gonna shoot him!"  
>"Jane…" Maura tried to calm down her friend, grabbing her hand. "You're not going to shoot anybody. Yes, he's a bastard, but he's not worth your time. And surely he's not worth you going to jail."<br>"Ok, I'm not shooting him." mumbled Jane. "Can I at least punch him?"

The look Maura gave to her was enough to make Jane stop talking.

"I don't care, Jane. I will do this on my own. It's ok. I can do this alone." said Maura.

"Maura, I…" Jane knew it was the right moment to tell Maura about her decision. "You won't be alone. I've been thinking and I decided that if you are ok with this, I could move here with you and be close to you during the pregnancy and the baby's first months. You're gonna need help, especially at the end of the pregnancy. And I want to do this. I want to be here for you and for your baby."

Maura didn't know what to say. What Jane had just said was the sweetest thing she had ever heard. She really was lucky to have Jane in her life, but she didn't want to be a burden to her friend.  
>"Jane, this is really sweet of you, but I'll be fine. You don't have to do this. It wasn't your mistake. Just because you're my only friend, you don't have to feel forced to do this. I'm not the first single woman to have a baby. I will be fine."<p>

"Maura, listen to me." said Jane, facing Maura and taking her hands. "Nobody is forcing me to do anything. I want to. I swear, I do. You are my best friend and part of my family. Besides, we already spend most of the nights at each other's place, it won't make a big difference. And it's gonna be fun. It will be like a sleepover that never ends! Look, M, I know that many women have children on their own, but you're not many women. You're my best friend and I would do anything to help you. You always say I'm your surrogate boyfriend, so it's the least I can do, right? What do you think?"  
>Maura finally allowed herself to free her tears. "Oh Jane…"<br>"Hey hey, I didn't want you to cry. Come on sweetie." smiled the detective, gently wiping away Maura's tears with her fingers.  
>"I'm sorry, you know that my amygdala and my lacrimal gland have a connection that I can't control."<br>Jane rolled her eyes, not really annoyed by her friend talking Google during a moment like that. "So, what do you say, doc? Do you want me here to take care of you?"  
>Maura nodded. "Yes, Jane, I want you here. Thank you, really. You are amazing."<br>"Perfect, then!" said Jane, happy that Maura had accepted her offer. "Tomorrow I will call my landlord to tell him I'm moving and I can put all my furniture in a storage." Maura was about to say something, but Jane knew her too well and she stopped her. "No Maura, I don't want you to pay for my rent while I'm here. It's ok, when the baby is born and you won't need my help anymore, I will look for another place, but let's not think about this now, ok?"

"At least let me pay for the storage. You're doing this for me, Jane, it's the least I can do."  
>"Whatever you prefer" agreed Jane. "Now let's order something for dinner and watch a movie or something. I will start bringing my stuff over tomorrow. I will be the best surrogate boyfriend ever!"<br>Maura laughed. "Ok, but I don't like the way surrogate boyfriend sounds. How about surrogate girlfriend? You're a woman, even if the way you dress may suggest otherwise."  
>"Hey!" Jane pretended to be offended and the two women laughed. "Surrogate girlfriend. I like it!"<p> 


	3. My way home is through you

**AN:** I know, I know, it took me a while to update, and this chapter is really short. But I've had a busy couple of weeks, between work and concerts and I'm trying to finish watching NCIS before it starts again in September, so I didn't have much time to write. I promise I'll try to update sooner.

Once again, thank you for all your reviews, you guys are amazing! I am so so happy you like this fic and I hope you will continue reading and enjoying it.

If you want, you can follow me on twitter (TheComet13), I would love to talk to you. And I usually tweet about the updates, and sometimes I ask my followers' opinion on some things, so…

Anyway, here we are, chapter 3. Enjoy it and don't forget to review, so I know if I'm doing it right

**CHAPTER 3 – MY WAY HOME IS THROUGH YOU**

"So, I talked to Frankie and Pop, they will help me moving my stuff here tomorrow." said Jane entering the kitchen, where Maura was cooking dinner. "And of course, my Ma will be there as well. What about Frost and Korsak? I didn't call them cause they don't know about the pregnancy yet, but if you want to tell them…"  
>"Honey, they will eventually find out." laughed Maura. "I will start to show and I want to tell them now. They are my friends. And I'm not ashamed. It might be unexpected, but a new life is a good thing. Why don't you call them and ask them to meet us for breakfast tomorrow?"<br>Jane nodded and started calling the two men, while Maura was setting up the table for dinner.  
>"So, tell me…" started Jane when they sat down to eat. "Do you already have some names in mind?"<br>"Well…" replied Maura. "It is a little bit too soon for that, but yes, I suppose I have a few names in my mind. You know, the names you think about when you start planning your future in your mind."  
>"Never done that" said Jane.<p>

"Really?" asked Maura surprised. "Not even when you were younger? I thought every girl comes up with a couple of names at some point in her life."  
>"Guess I'm not like every other girl, then. Anyway…spill."<br>"I've always liked Elizabeth and Victoria for girls, and Julian for a boy. What do you think?"

Jane thought about the names and matched them in her mind with Maura's last name. "Not bad. Victoria Isles sounds important. Julian Isles might not be a perfect match, but I like the name. But hey, it's your choice, I will just be the cool aunt. You're the one who has to choose the name."  
>"Of course, but you know I value your opinion, Jane." said the ME. "But as I said, it's still early, I have plenty of time to decide."<br>"Would you prefer a boy or a girl?" asked the detective.  
>"I really didn't put much thought into it." sighed Maura, earning a laugh from Jane, who found weird that the blonde didn't think much about something. It was definitely a first. "I guess it would be easier to raise a girl by myself, without a male figure in her life. Boys need a father when they grow up, someone who can play catch with them, someone to talk about girls with."<br>"Oh I can do that. I can play catch with them! And basketball too. I grew up with two brothers, I never played with dolls or that girly stuff. I can be the male figure in his life." laughed Jane.

Maura rolled her eyes. "As I told you before, even if the way you act and the way you dress might be deceiving, you are still a girl, Jane. I doubt you could be the father in this situation. It would be weird having my child calling you dad."  
>"Whoa, are we seriously talking about this?" asked Jane, a little freaked out by the thought that Maura's kid could end up calling her dad. Or mom, for what matters. She remembered the conversation she had with her Ma, about playing house with Maura and building a family with her. But after she freaked out for the first few seconds, she realized that the thought of having Maura's child considering her another parents didn't sound so bad. She actually smiled, picturing the scene in her head. A little Maura, with those hazel eyes and those dimples, coming home from school and proudly announcing "Mommy, I got an A+ in my math test". Or a little boy, running around the backyard and yelling "Ma, come and play basketball with me!"<br>"Jane…are you listening to me?" asked Maura, snapping Jane out of her thoughts. Crap, did she really lose herself thinking about her and Maura's kids?  
>"I'm sorry, hun, what were you saying?" blushed Jane.<br>"I was saying that even if you are what people would call a tom boy, you still can't be the male figure in this baby's life, so I think I would prefer a girl." said the blonde. "Jane, are you ok?"  
>Jane nodded. "Everything's fine, M. Now, let's finish dinner, then I think I'll go back to my apartment so I can start packing, and you can get some rest. It's been a long day and tomorrow we have a lot of stuff to do. Are you ok if I sleep at my place tonight?"<p>

"Sure." replied Maura, still wondering what had gotten Jane so lost in thoughts earlier. Sometimes it was impossible for her to understand what was going on in Jane's head.

-o-

The morning after, Maura stopped to pick up Jane before they met Vince and Barry for breakfast. She was a little late, the morning sickness had kept her in the bathroom for an hour that day.  
>"I hate being late." said Maura while driving to the café.<p>

"It's not your fault, M." Jane reassured her. "Frost and Korsak won't mind. Especially considering you were late because you were feeling sick. Are you feeling better, by the way?"  
>Maura nodded. "Yes, I just hope I can get through breakfast without feeling nauseous. Morning sickness can be very annoying."<p>

Korsak and Frost were already sitting at the table, waiting for the girls to order breakfast. They were both a little worried for the ME, because in those years they had worked together, she never took a sick day and suddenly now she was staying at home the whole week and Jane even took the days off to take care of her.

When they first met her, the two men, like everybody else, had found the Medical Examiner a little weird and difficult to get, but after working with her and hanging out with her after work, they started to like the woman and now they considered her part of their group, a good friend. When Jane had called them the previous night, inviting them for breakfast and telling them that Maura had something to share with them, the two immediately worried, playing in their head the worst scenarios. They genuinely loved the doctor, she was one of them, and they didn't want anything bad to happen to her. When they saw Jane and Maura walking in, the blonde in her usual flawless attire, they relaxed a little. Still, they were very curious about what Maura was going to tell them.

"Hey Doc, are you feeling better?" asked Korsak, greeting the two women.

"Yes, Vince, thank you." smiled Maura, sitting down.

They all went through the menu, Maura carefully considering what to eat not to feel nauseous again.

After they ordered, they did some small talk, Frost and Korsak filled the two women in on the case they managed to close and they talked about baseball for a while.

"So, Doc, Jane said you have something to share with us. What is it?" asked Frost when they all ran out of conversation topics.  
>Maura took a deep breath. "Yes, I have some news. As you know, I haven't felt fine in a few days, which is something it rarely happens to me. You guys know that I never took a sick day in years, so when I started to feel sick I knew something was wrong."<br>"Maura, is everything ok?" asked Korsak alarmed. "You're not telling us that you have some weird, incurable disease, are you?"  
>The doctor smiled and shook her head. "No, don't worry, Vince. No diseases. And more certainly, nothing incurable. But something was indeed wrong."<br>"Maura, come on, don't leave the poor guys hanging. They are already thinking you're about to die! Tell them already." Jane interrupted her friend. It was typical of Maura to use a hundred words for saying something that required only a short sentence.  
>"Alright." sighed Maura. "I'm pregnant. Five weeks. I found out two days ago and yesterday my doctor confirmed it."<br>After the first moment of shock, Vince and Barry stood up to hug their friend. "Congratulations, Doc! You must be thrilled!"  
>"I am. I was scared at first, and honestly, I still am." admitted the ME. "I never really considered being a mother, but it happened; these past two days I have been doing a lot of thinking and now I can say I am happy."<p>

In the meantime, their orders were arrived and Frost raised his glass of orange juice, proposing a toast to Maura and her baby.

"So guys." said Jane while they were eating. "Are you up for some manly work today? See, I decided to move in to Maura's so I can be there for her during the pregnancy and it would be great if you two could help us moving my stuff. My dad and Frakie already agreed."  
>The two men looked at each other and then nodded. "Why not, it will be nice to get away from paperwork. They will call us if they need us. By the way, Rizzoli, when are you coming back to work? It's kinda boring without you around."<br>"Next week we're both going back, no worries." Jane assured them. "I just need a few days to settle down and Maura needs to get used to be productive even if she spends the whole morning with her head in the toilet."  
>"Jane!" exclaimed Maura, not amused by the fact that Jane had just shared with their friends that information. "I'm sure Barry and Vince didn't need to know that, especially during a meal."<br>"It's ok, Doc. We have a tough stomach." laughed Vince. "Well, at least I do. Barf-bag kid here, not so sure."

They all ended up laughing and after breakfast they parted to reach Jane's apartment separately.

"So…Maura with a kid and Jane moving in with her." said Frost while driving to the Jane's apartment. "This is going to be…interesting."  
>"Those two couldn't look more like a couple if they tried." stated Korsak. "Fifty bucks that they end up together by the end of the first trimester."<p>

"Are you seriously betting on our friends' love life?" asked Barry amused. Of course it wasn't the first time they brought up the subject. They were all well aware of the rumors going around the only two women in the department and they had both questioned the two girls about the nature of their relationships. Jane and Maura had always denied anything more than a close friendship, but this new turn in the events could change it.  
>"Come on, don't tell me that you haven't thought about it when Jane announced she is moving in with Maura. What do you say, kid?"<p>

"I say they're gonna wait until at least the third trimester. Those two can be so clueless sometimes." replied Frost. "Fifty bucks. And the loser gets to do the winner's paperwork for a month."

"You're on!"

-o-

"Maura, stop! I'm not throwing it away!" whined Jane, trying to make Maura let go of a suit she was holding.

"But Jane, this is hideous!" complained Maura. "It is old and torn and look at the color. It was supposed to be black, and now it's grey. I think you should change dry cleaner. And throw this away. Why don't we go shopping together tomorrow?"

"Oh, Maura, darling, that would be amazing!" Angela decided to get in the middle of the conversation. "Actually, now that you two are going to live together, can you help Janie choose her clothes in the morning?"  
>"Hey, you two, enough!" Jane was going crazy. Maura and her mother ganging up against her wasn't going to end well. "Look, M, just because I'm moving in with you, it doesn't mean you can play 'dress up your Barbie' from now on. And Ma, I don't need help in choosing my clothes. These are perfectly fine!"<p>

"But Jane…" started Maura.

"No, no buts!" Jane interrupted her. "That suits comes with me and we're not going shopping. God, I kinda feel sorry for that poor kid, especially if it's a girl, she will be tortured by you every time she has to leave the house."  
>The detective immediately regretted her words when she saw the look on Maura's face. The ME's eyes were starting to fill with tears. "Jane, you're an idiot!" she thought. She always said that Maura didn't know when to shut up, but she was just the same. She knew Maura was insecure about her skills as a mother, and now Jane just implied that the doctor would make her kid's life a living hell. She really was an idiot.<p>

"Hey, sweetie, I'm sorry." apologized Jane, hugging her friend. "I was just kidding, I swear. Your kid is gonna be so lucky to have a mom who cares a lot about her style. And I bet that your little girl will look up at you, will want to be as stylish as you are and she's gonna love the clothes you'll pick up for her."  
>"No Jane, you're right" sniffed Maura. "I shouldn't force you to dress differently and I will try not to torture my child."<br>"Maura, you're not gonna torture your kid. I told you, it was a joke. Look, you're right, that suit is old and I should really throw it away. And maybe we can go shopping this weekend so we can look for a new one, ok?"  
>Maura gave Jane a wide, happy smile, and she went back to put Jane's clothes in the boxes.<br>"Someone's whipped." whispered Barry.

"Shut it, Frost!" growled Jane.  
>Yes, she knew she was whipped. She just couldn't stand to see Maura crying. A simple sniff, and Jane was ready to do everything Maura wanted. Thank god the woman rarely got a cold, or Jane would have been really screwed!<p>

The day went on with Jane, Maura and Angela packing and the guys moving boxes from Jane's apartment to Maura's house. They finished just in time for dinner. The furniture was still in Jane's apartment, they were going to move it to a storage unit in the next few days, but the rest of her stuff was now in Maura's house.

Angela offered to cook a quick dinner for everybody, so she was in Maura's kitchen, fixing up some pasta for the hungry gang. Maura was with her, she said she wanted to learn from Angela how to make her delicious tomato sauce, so she could cook it for Jane, now that they were living together.

While they were waiting for the water to boil, Angela turned to Maura. "Maura, dear, we didn't have time to talk today, but I want to know that if you need anything at all, you can come to me. I had three children and I know that it's hard in the beginning, especially if you are alone."  
>"Thank you, Angela." smiled the doctor. "But I am not alone, now. I have Jane. And I know that Jane's decision to move in with me and be involved in this baby's life must have been weird for you. I really appreciate you supporting her. You are an amazing mother and I hope I will learn that from you. I am so afraid I will never be as good as you are."<br>"Oh, honey!" said Angela, hugging Maura. "You will do great, I know you will."

-o-

After dinner, everybody went back to their places and Jane and Maura were finally alone.

"This is it!" said Jane, when she finished loading the dishwasher. "So, what do you wanna do the first night together in our home? Wow, it sounds nice, doesn't it? Our home."

"It does" replied Maura. "We can watch a movie, but do you mind watching it in my bedroom? I'm really tired and I need to lie down. You can choose the movie."  
>"Really?" asked Jane. "You never let me choose the movie."<br>"I figured that you deserve it, being your official night here."

"Wow, I should have moved in earlier, then!" laughed the detective.

The two women changed in their night attire and climbed into Maura's bed, turning the TV on.

"I am so glad you are here, Jane." confessed Maura, before the movie started.

"I am glad too." replied Jane, pulling Maura close to her.

A couple of hours later, the movie was over and Maura was asleep in Jane's arms. The detective tried to move without waking her friend up, so she could go to sleep in her bed.

When she felt the movement beside her, Maura held Jane tighter. "Where are you going?" she mumbled, without opening her eyes.  
>"To sleep, in my bedroom."<p>

"Stay" whispered Maura, snuggling closer to Jane.

"Will you ever let me sleep in that bedroom?" asked Jane with a laugh, resuming her previous position in Maura's bed.  
>"We'll see" replied Maura and she drifted off to sleep again.<p> 


	4. Heartbeats

**AN**: Here I am with a new chapter. I know, I'm slow with the updates, but I usually only have time to write at night and my brain not always decides to help. Besides, I'm catching up with Warehouse 13 (if you haven't watched it, you should. The subtext between Myka and HG is insane!), so I spend most of my nights watching it.  
>Anyway, here it is.<br>About something that's in this chapter: I'm not sure if Pringles existed when Maura was in college, but for the sake of my story, they did. Same goes for Nutella. And if you never tried Pringles with Nutella, do it! I know, it sounds so gross, but it's delicious! I figured it could be a proper kind of craving for a pregnant woman.  
>Enough rambling now. Enjoy the chapter, don't forget to review, and follow me on twitter (TheComet13)…I'd really like to talk to all of you.<p>

Oh, just one more thing: I have this idea in my mind for a Sasha/Angie fanfiction. I usually don't write/read RPF but this story is not leaving me alone, so I'm thinking about writing it. What do you think? Would you be interested? Let me know, please.

Last but not least, thanks again for the reviews. You guys are awesome!

**CHAPTER 4 - HEARTBEATS**

As the first trimester went on, Jane and Maura were adjusting to their new life together. Not that it was much different from what they were used to. Before Jane moved in with Maura, the two women used to spend most of their nights at each other's places.

Jane was learning not to leave a mess everywhere, and Maura was trying to be less in control of everything. "You're going to have a kid, M, you can't have your house look like a sanctuary all the time. You have to get used to a little mess, without freaking out" Jane had told her once, so Maura was trying her best to loosen up. Even Jo Friday was starting to feel less terrified by the ME's tortoise; she now could stay in the same room without shaking or running away to hide.

What wasn't improving was Maura's morning sickness. The doctor spent all her mornings head on the toilet, and sometimes, she had to interrupt an autopsy to run in the bathroom. Jane's heart hurt to see her friend that way, she knew she couldn't make it better, so she was extra helpful when she could and she started to spoil Maura with little presents and food treats anytime she could. She was also the one who ran to the mini market to buy what Maura needed to satisfy her food cravings. Day or night, it didn't matter. The moment Maura said "I feel like eating…" Jane was already halfway out the door.

That day had been particularly tough for the doctor. Three autopsies and her sickness went on through the whole afternoon as well. She had started to feel better before going home from work and she had managed to eat dinner without throwing up. She and Jane were in bed, watching a movie. Since Jane moved in, a month before, she had never slept in the guest bedroom, HER bedroom. They never really talked about it, it just came natural. Sometimes it was because they fell asleep watching a movie, sometimes Jane claimed she preferred to sleep in the same room as Maura so she could be there if the doctor needed something, sometimes they just went to bed together, no question asked. They liked falling asleep next to each other, usually wrapped in each other's arms. Jane knew it was a little weird, she knew that best friends didn't usually do that, but she was ok with it. Since the last time Hoyt showed up, a few months before, she had always had troubles falling asleep, and actually sleeping through the night without waking up by nightmares. But having Maura sleeping peaceful next to her helped her. The sound of Maura's breathing calmed her and helped her falling asleep without nightmares.

So there they were, in what was becoming their bed, watching a chick flick Maura chose, but without paying too much attention. They were discussing their day at work, and Maura was flipping the pages of a furniture catalogue, looking for cribs.

"Isn't it a little too soon to start decorating the nursery?" asked Jane.

Maura shook her head. "I want to do it now that I'm still able to move. In a few months, I'm going to be so fat that even putting my shoes on will be a challenge." She sighed.

"What's wrong?" Jane noticed the sigh. It was a sad kind of sigh.

"I just realized I will have to start wearing flats soon." explained Maura. "And I will get fat and I won't be able to wear my clothes. Jane, I have to buy maternity clothes. I won't be able to wear anything I own for months! This is terrible!"  
>Jane was getting used to Maura's mood swings. Ten minutes earlier, she was all excited about the cribs, and now she was almost crying talking about clothes. "I will never get pregnant!" thought Jane.<p>

"Honey, it's ok, I promise we will find you the most stylish maternity clothes ever. I will bring you shopping myself, ok? Besides, you still have time before starting worrying about this. You look great, you're thin as usual and you still can fit in all of your clothes." Jane tried to comfort her friend. And it worked. Maura gave her a grateful smile and she went back to the catalogue.

"My next appointment with the OB/GYN is next week" said Maura after a while. "The doctor said I should be able to hear the heartbeat. Are you coming with me?"

"Of course I will." replied the detective. "I told you, I will be there for every appointment."

Maura smiled happily and threw her arms around her best friend, hugging her tightly. "Oh Jane, I wouldn't know what to do without you. Thank you!"  
>"Maura, I told you…you don't have to…thank me every time…hey M, I'm choking here!" laughed Jane, trying to catch her breath.<p>

"Oh I'm sorry!" Maura laughed as well. "Uhm, Jane…you know, I feel like eating…"  
>Jane jumped out of bed. "Hold on, I'm getting dressed, so I can go to the mini market."<br>"Jane, you don't need to. I can go myself." protested Maura. She was grateful that Jane was there to spoil her and satisfy her every need, but she was starting to feel guilty about it. She was able to drive to the mini market herself.

"No way, I'm going. Tell me what you want, and I'll bring it to you as soon as I can. We don't want that baby to develop a PWS in some weird shape, do we?"  
>"You do realize that this is just a old wives tale, right?" Maura chuckled. "My baby won't have a birthmark if I don't satisfy my cravings. It is not completely known why blood vessels grow too much in one particular area of the body, but I am pretty sure the cause is not my need of Pringles and Nutella. You know, in Italian, birthmarks are called voglie, which it can be translated to 'wishes', because of this…"<br>"Ok, enough, Google!" Jane interrupted her. "I get it, no birthmarks, but still…hey, did you say Pringles and Nutella? Maura, that's disgusting!"  
>The doctor shook her head. "It's actually pretty good, Jane."<br>"Whatever you say. And thank god I don't need to go to the store now. I bought Nutella two days ago, when you were craving it with ice cream, and I love Pringles, so I always have a tube or two. Unless you want the barbecue ones, but please, tell me you don't, cause the idea of eating barbecue Pringles with Nutella makes me sick."  
>"No, the Original ones are ok." said Maura, going to the kitchen to grab the food she wanted.<p>

Jane sat down on the counter, next to Maura, and watched her dipping the chips in the Nutella jar. "I don't know how you do that, it's gross! Maybe it's a pregnancy thing."  
>"No it's not." replied Maura. "I used to eat this when I was in college all the time, it was my favorite comfort food. My roommate and I spent countless nights eating Pringles with Nutella and watching movies. You should try it, Jane, I promise you, it's really good."<br>"Do I have to?" whined Jane.

"Jane, you eat chocolate covered bacon! Do you really think this could be worse? Come on, try it!"

Jane sighed. Once again, she couldn't say no to Maura. She dipped the Pringles in the hazelnut spread and put it in her mouth with a disgusted grimace. But when she started chewing, she realized Maura was right. "M, this is amazing! It's delicious! You were right!"  
>Maura gave her a satisfied smile. "You should trust me more, Jane."<br>"From now on, I swear I will. Damn, woman, you really are something else!"

-o-

A week later, Jane and Maura were going to the doctor's appointment. Maura couldn't contain her excitement. She was finally going to hear her baby's heartbeat. This made it real, more real than it had ever been before.

Jane was pretty excited as well. She had never heard a fetus' heartbeat and she knew it was going to be a unique experience.  
>When the doctor let them into her office, Jane squeezed Maura's hand and smiled at her.<p>

"Maura, I want you to be aware that it's not guaranteed that we will hear the baby's heartbeat" started the doctor when Maura lied down. "It's still early and it is possible that we won't be able to hear it today. There's nothing to worry about, it's perfectly normal at this stage."  
>Maura nodded. She had read about it and she knew it was a long shot. She tried not to keep her hopes too high, because she didn't want to be disappointed, but she was dying to hear the heartbeat.<p>

After a few seconds, the sound came out loud and clear, and filled the room.

"Here it is, Maura." said the doctor smiling. "Strong and steady. This is your baby's heartbeat."  
>Maura didn't know what to say. She tried to form a sentence, but she was too overwhelmed. She turned to Jane, her eyes sparkling in excitement.<p>

Jane was speechless. Her eyes were filling with tears, as she couldn't stop watching the monitor with the scan. "It's…" she stuttered. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." Her hand went searching for Maura's. "M, this is amazing."

"It is" whispered the blonde. It was like her brain was refusing to work properly, to let her say anything. All she could hear and feel was that heartbeat coming from the machine near her.  
>The doctor assured Maura that everything was going great, that her weight was perfect and that it was common to feel that sick during the first trimester. Maura listened carefully, even if she was still overwhelmed by the emotion of listening to her baby's heart for the first time.<br>Jane, instead, was completely lost in thoughts. She was surprised by her own reaction. She didn't know she could feel so emotional. "That's ou…Maura's baby!" she thought. "Damn, did I just almost say OUR baby? Get a grip, Rizzoli, that's not your baby!" Yes, during those weeks that they had been living together, Jane had taken care of Maura like she was her wife, carrying her child. Jane was the one running out in the middle of the night to get Maura the food she was craving, Jane was the one holding back Maura's hair when she was throwing up, and rubbing her back when she was done, Jane was the one who had to put up with Maura's mood swings. And some nights, they fell asleep with their hands entwined on Maura's stomach. But still, that wasn't Jane's baby. Because they weren't a couple. Jane was just the supportive best friend. Right?

"Jane?" Maura's voice snapped Jane out of her thoughts. "Jane, are you ok?"  
>The detective nodded. "Yeah, just lost in thoughts. Are you ready to go?"<br>"Jane didn't you hear what I said? I asked the doctor to burn me a DVD of the scan, so we can show it to your mother. We only have to wait a few minutes."  
>"Oh right. Ma will be thrilled."<p>

Jane and Maura went back to the precinct together and Jane couldn't stop smiling. Yes, those thoughts scared the crap out of her, but that heartbeat…she couldn't stop hearing it into her head. And how cared if that wasn't her baby and she and Maura weren't a couple? She was going to be there, no matter what, so that kid was somehow hers too.

"Hey, Janie, how did the doctor's appointment go?" asked Frankie when he saw her sister entering the squad room.  
>"How did you know?"<br>"Ma…" sighed the younger Rizzoli. "I stopped by to hers yesterday and all she could talk about was Maura's doctor appointment. Do you think she knows she's not going to be a grandma?"  
>"Let her dream" replied Jane, a little ashamed cause her thoughts weren't that different from her mother's. "Everything was fine. We got to hear the heartbeat…Frankie, it was incredible. One of the most unique experience I've ever had."<br>"Wow, Jane, this baby is turning you into a softie!" Frost mocked her.

"Shut up, Frost! Don't you have anything more useful to do than listen to my conversations?" snapped Jane.

An hour later, Maura called Jane to the morgue to give her the reports from her latest autopsy, and of course, Frost, Korsak and Frankie took the occasion to gossip about the female detective.

"So Frankie" started Frost. "Korsak and I have a bet going on about your sister and the Doc. Korask says they will be together by the end of the first trimester, but I say they are gonna wait until the third. What do you think?"  
>Frankie thought about it for a while. "My sister can be the most stubborn person on the planet. I say they won't be together until the baby is born."<br>"Fifty bucks, kid, place your bet!" said Korsak.

Frankie handed him the money, that Korsak put in an envelope in his drawer. "But for God's sake, don't let my sister know we're betting on her love life. She would eat us alive if she knew!"

-o-

That following Sunday, Jane, Maura and Frankie were at the Rizzoli's household for the weekly Sunday dinner. Angela had cooked gnocchi and they were all enjoying their meal. Maura had shown Angela the DVD of the scan and the older Rizzoli had cried for joy. "I can't wait for her to be here, so I can spoil her. Considering my children won't give me grandkids anytime soon, I will be the perfect surrogate grandma for this baby!"

"Her?" asked Maura.  
>"I have a feeling." Angela shrugged. "And I am usually right. I was right with all of my children. What about you, Maura? Any feeling about the sex of this baby?"<br>"I don't like to guess, Angela. And I think I am going to wait to find out until I give birth. I don't usually like surprises, I like to always be prepared, but Jane told me that I have to start loosen up, that with a child I can't expect to always be in control of everything, so I figured this might be a good place to start."

"Wait, what?" asked Jane surprised. "You don't want to know? Come on, M, I have to know if I have to buy a Red Sox onesie or a pink girlie one!"  
>"Well, you can buy the Red Sox one, regardless if it's a boy or a girl. And he or she will wear it to go home from the hospital." said Maura sweetly, her hand covering Jane's.<p>

"Really? You'd let your baby go home in a Red Sox onesie, instead of a designer one, just because I like it?" Jane looked her best friend in the eyes and smiled when Maura nodded.  
>Frank, Angela and Frankie looked at each other, rolling their eyes. It wasn't the first time that Jane and Maura got lost in each other like there was no one else around. "Could they be more obvious?" thought Frankie. "Maybe I should have bet on the second trimester. "<p>

The dinner was suddenly interrupted by someone knocking at the front door.  
>"Who might be?" asked Angela, standing up to go opening the door. "We're not waiting for anyone."<br>The next thing the gang on the table heard was Angela's joyful scream.

"What the hell…" started Jane and then she stopped when she saw who was with her mother. "Tommy?"

"Hey sis!" the third Rizzoli greeted his older sister, and wrapped her in a hug.

"What are you doing here? I…we didn't know you were coming home."  
>"Yeah, I wanted to be a surprise." Tommy explained, and went hugging his brother and father. Then he turned his attention to Maura. "Hi, I'm Tommy. Please, tell me you're not Frankie's girlfriend, he doesn't deserve a beautiful woman like you."<br>Maura blushed and shook his hand. "I'm Maura, nice to meet you. I am Jane's best friend."

There was a little catching up, and when dinner was over, Jane and Maura left the Rizzoli house to go back to their place.

The ride back home was silent. Maura was confused. Jane and Frankie had a brother? How come Jane never mentioned him before?  
>" Care to explain?" asked Maura when they finally reached their place and were sitting on the couch. "I've been known you for years and you never told me you have another brother. I mean, yes, I saw another boy in the pictures at your parent's house but I always thought it was a close cousin…I thought my best friend would tell me if she had another brother."<br>Jane sighed. She really didn't want to talk about Tommy, she really didn't, but she knew she owed her best friend some sort of explanation. "He was in prison, Maura. That's why I never told you. I'm not proud of him, ok? Yes, he's my little brother, but I'm not proud of what he did. And no, I don't want to talk about it. He's back, and I'm happy for my mom cause he missed him. But I'm not thrilled to have a convicted felon around. I never told you about him because I don't like to have a criminal in my family."  
>"Oh Jane…" sighed the blonde. "I can imagine that, but you know you can tell me anything. I wouldn't judge you or your family for this. His mistakes are not yours. Besides, should I remind you who my father is?"<br>"That's different, Maura. Doyle is just the sperm donor. We're talking about my brother here."

"This is exactly the same, Jane!" said Maura. "You were the one who told me that DNA doesn't matter. That it is about the choices we make. Tommy's choices have nothing to do with you or Frankie or your parents. And Jane, you know I will always be there for you. I'm serious, you can talk to me about anything. That's what best friends are for, right?"  
>"Right." smiled Jane and leaned forward to hug Maura. "Thank you, M. Now let's go to sleep. I'm pretty exhausted after this dinner."<p>

Maura nodded and started walking to her room. "Hey Maur?" Jane stopped her. "Can I…"  
>She didn't need to finish the sentence. Maura understood and smiled to Jane, holding her hand out to Jane. "Come on."<p>

Looked like Jane wasn't going to sleep in "her" bedroom once again.

-o-

A few days later, Maura had the day off, while Jane was stuck at the precinct, interrogating suspects of their current murder investigation. Angela had invited Maura over to continue her cooking lessons. Jane was supposed to meet them at her parent's house so they could have dinner all together. The detective knew her mother was almost forcing her to spend time with Tommy and she didn't like it, but she knew she couldn't avoid her brother forever. He was going to be in her life again and, as much as Jane disliked him for his poor choices, he was still her brother, and Jane loved him. So she accepted to have this mid-week family dinner.

When Jane arrived at her parent's house, she found her mother in the kitchen, her father and Frankie on the couch watching the highlights of a basketball game, and Maura and Tommy sitting on the table, playing chess. Flirting over a chessboard. Wait, what? Flirting? Was Maura flirting with her younger brother?  
>"What are you doing?" she asked, slightly annoyed.<br>"Isn't it clear?" replied Tommy, not bothering to look up from the chessboard. "We're playing chess. Your friend is a genius, Janie. Best opponent I've ever had."  
>"Stop" smiled Maura. It was a flirty smile, Jane could recognize it from miles. "Tommy is quite a talent in this game, did you know that?"<p>

Jane rolled her eyes.

"So, Jane, how was your day?" asked the ME, still focused on the game.  
>"Inconclusive." replied the detective. "Hey, M, can I talk to you for a second?"<br>Maura nodded and followed Jane upstairs. "What is this about? Is it about the case?" asked the blonde, when Jane shut the door of her childhood bedroom.  
>"Don't sleep with my brother!" said Jane. Ok, well, maybe that came out a little bit harsher than she intended to, but there was no point in dancing around the subject.<br>"What? Jane!" laughed Maura. "I have no desire in sleeping with your brother. The thought didn't even cross my mind. He's your brother!"  
>"You were flirting with him!" Jane accused her. Was she jealous? Maybe. Or maybe she knew her brother and she knew how he acted with girls. He wasn't the commitment kind of guy, and even if Jane was well aware that Maura didn't have problems with one-night stands (and the fetus in her uterus was the living proof), Jane found the thought of her best friend and her brother sleeping together completely wrong. Besides, Maura was in a delicate emotional state and no one knew how she could react if Tommy dumped her after sleeping with her.<br>"I wasn't flirting. We were just playing chess!" the ME defended herself. "I haven't played chess in a very long time and finding a valid opponent has excited me, but I don't want to sleep with him. I'm not even attracted to him, though I can appreciate his bone structure and his facial features, but that is just an objective analysis. He looks a lot like you and I always tell you that you're good looking, but that doesn't mean that I want to sleep with you."  
>"Ouch, that hurt!" Jane didn't really know if she was joking or not. It just came out.<br>"Why?" asked Maura, surprised. "Do you want me to want to sleep with you?"

"What? NO!" Jane almost yelled, blushing. "I…this is not the point Maura! Just don't sleep with him!"  
>"I've already told you that I'm not going to, Jane. I am only attracted to his mind."<br>"You…you are attract…attracted to his mind?" stuttered Jane. What the hell?  
>"Yes, he is very clever and while we were playing he has made some interesting choices. It's fascinating."<br>"You are fascinated by my brother's mind?" asked Jane, not sure if she understood what Maura meant.  
>"Yes." nodded the blonde. "But I promise, I don't want to sleep with him."<p>

The conversation was interrupted my Angela calling them from downstairs, to tell them that dinner was ready.

"Wow, Ma, these lasagna are delicious! You've outdone yourself!" Jane complimented her mother after the first bite.  
>"Actually, Janie, Maura cooked them." explained Angela with a smile.<p>

"Really? Honey, these are the best lasagna I've ever eaten! No offence, Ma." said Jane, impressed.

"Honey?" Tommy mouthed to Frankie, who shrugged. He was used to his sister's pet names for her best friend.  
>"None taken." replied Angela. "The doc here is quite a natural in the kitchen."<br>Maura blushed. "Thank you, Angela. And thank you, Jane, I'm glad you like them."  
>After dinner, while Jane was helping Angela washing the dishes, Maura and Tommy resumed their chess game.<br>"How's it going?" asked Jane when she was done with the dishes and came into the living room.  
>Maura showed Jane the current situation. "I'm not sure how this will turn out."<br>"Can I make a suggestion?" Jane moved one of the pieces on the chessboard. "Checkmate!"

"Wha…you know how to play chess?" asked Maura, surprised.

"Yeah, who do you think taught him?" grinned the detective, then leaned closer to Maura and whispered to her ear "Tommy is not the only Rizzoli with a beautiful mind."  
>Maura shivered a little to the sensation of Jane's warm breath on her ear, and smiled. Of course Tommy wasn't the only Rizzoli with a beautiful mind. Maura knew it very well. She had always thought that Jane was exceptionally smart.<p>

"Ready to go?" asked Jane, considering the game was over. "I'm beat tonight. Hey, Ma, can we bring home the leftovers, so if Maura has cravings later I don't have to run here in the middle of the night? I'd like to sleep tonight."  
>"Jane, I never woke up in the middle of the night to bring me food!" protested Maura.<br>"I know, sweetie, I was just teasing you" replied Jane with a smile. "Well, goodnight everybody."  
>The two women left the house and a very confused Tommy turned to Frankie. "What was that?" asked.<br>"Jane and Maura living together…Maura's pregnant…man, you spent the whole afternoon with the Doc and you don't know that?"  
>Tommy shook his head.<p>

"Look, Tommy…" sighed Frankie. "I can feel that you like Maura. I liked her too, you know? When Jane first introduced me to her, I had a huge crush on her. I think half the guys at the precinct have a crush on her. She's gorgeous and if you get past her obvious quirks, she's an amazing person. But no one in his right mind will ever dream about asking her out."  
>"And why is that" asked Tommy.<br>"Cause she's Jane's girl. They might not know it yet, but those two belong together. So don't even try to go there, ok? Jane would rip your head off, even if she's in denial about their relationship."

"Ok" nodded Tommy. "Wow, I sensed that they were really close…I mean, the pet names, the whole getting lost in each other's eyes thing, the casual touching…but I didn't think it was like that…"  
>"Yep, that's Jane and Maura. One day they will realize what everybody else already knew for a long time. We actually have a pool going around the precinct. Wanna join?"<p> 


	5. Realized I loved you in the Fall

**AN**: Wow, guys, I'm seriously flattered by all your reviews! You're all so kind and I'm really really glad you're liking this. I hope this chapter won't disappoint you, it took me a while to write it cause I wanted to do it right. Some dialogues and situations, as you might notice, are taken from episode 2x03, I thought it might have been fun to play around with the actual storyline.

Don't forget to review. 

**CHAPTER 5 – REALIZED I LOVED YOU IN THE FALL**

As summer ended, Maura entered her second trimester. She was starting to show now, and she had stopped wearing tight clothes to hide the small bump. Not that she wanted to hide it, everybody knew she was pregnant by now, but she wasn't comfortable wearing her usual really tight dresses anymore. The morning sickness was finally gone; they had been a tough three months, but Maura was finally starting to feel better.

It was Sunday morning of the Fleet Week in Boston, the Rizzoli boys were out of town and Angela had decided to take Maura and Jane to brunch to celebrate the fact that Maura was finally able to hold food down for more than 10 minutes. Jane's mood wasn't one of the best, considering she was wearing a dress and high heels (it was all Maura's fault! She had tried to resist, they argued for half an hour that morning, until Jane gave up and wore the damn dress. She really couldn't say no to Maura's puppy eyes), and the traffic wasn't making it better. They had been in the damn car for what it seems like hours!  
>"Damn sailors!" she muttered.<br>"Leave them alone, they're serving our Country!" Angela lectured her. "Poor boys, they need a little fun, it's Fleet Week!"  
>Jane saw a sailor throwing up in a trashcan. "Yeah, poor boys need to learn how to hold their alcohol." replied disgusted. "God, I can't wait for these guys to be gone in three days!"<p>

"Roosevelt endorsed the first Fleet Week in 1935. He was intent in expanding the navy." Maura started to go Google mouth but her attention was caught by one of the sailors. "Oh, he's cute!" she waved to the guy and he waved back.  
>"Yeah. Move along, move along. She's too young for you! Goodbye!" Jane made the guy go away. The last thing Maura needed was a hangover sailor.<p>

Suddenly, smoke started to come out the front of the car and they stopped moving.  
>"Oh my God, the car broke down!" Angela shouted.<p>

Jane and Maura got off the car. "Do we have to push?" asked Maura.  
>"You are not going to push anything, you're pregnant, so get back in the car. Ma, come on, let's push this thing out of here."<br>"It's ok, ma'am. We can push!" a few sailors approached the two women and Jane thanked them.  
>"He's cute too!" commented Maura when Jane and Angela were back in the car. Jane rolled her eyes. She had been warned about the new kind of cravings of the second trimester of pregnancy. Sexual cravings. Maura has always been a very sexual person and her hormones were all over the place now, making her even hornier than usual. Two days before, they had a fight because Maura was shamelessly flirting with a guy at the dirty robber and she looked like she was about to jump him in the middle of the bar. Jane had made a nasty remark about how she was in that situation because she couldn't keep her legs shut and Maura got really upset. Luckily, she had accepted Jane's apologies and everything ended well, but Jane didn't know how long she could keep Maura from sleeping with random guys to satisfy her cravings. She didn't even know why the idea of Maura sleeping with random men bothered her that much, much more than it used to before. But it did.<p>

Angela asked the sailors to push the car to the Gilberti's garage. The Gilberti were old friends of the Rizzoli family, they lived in the same neighborhood and years before their sons went to school together. Jane wasn't thrilled when she saw Giovanni, Mr. Gilberti's son, greeting them. She never liked Giovanni. He was an idiot, uneducated and always trying to hit on every hot girl he saw, including Jane.  
>Her disgusted face didn't seem to stop Maura from making comments about Giovanni's shoulder-to-hip ratio and other things that Jane didn't really understand.<p>

When Giovanni came to hug Jane, telling her how hot she looked, the detective used Maura as a human shield, but it wasn't a good idea, because Maura, of course, started to flirt with the mechanic. Rolling her yes, Jane out herself between her best friend and Giovanni. The last person she wanted Maura to sleep with was Giovanni Gilberti. And to make things worse, Angela had started talking about how Giovanni was a good son and usually good sons made good husbands. No wonder the detective was relieved when she and Maura got called in on a crime scene.  
>She was about to call a taxi when Giovanni offered Maura to drive his Giulietta. Jane didn't want to accept, but Maura went all crazy about the car and so she gave in.<p>

"How come I didn't know you had a thing for old cars?" asked Jane while Maura was driving them to the crime scene.  
>"Guess it never came out. Don't you think that Giovanni has been so kind to let me drive it? I wouldn't let a stranger drive a car like this. He's cute. And hot."<br>"No!" Jane snapped. "Stay away from Giovanni!"  
>"No?" asked Maura and laughed. "Oh…this is a dibs thing!"<br>"A dibs thing? Really? Ok tell me what you have in common with him. All right, he's a blue-collar, Boston-Italian auto mechanic." Jane tried to reason with Maura. Seriously, she and Giovanni had nothing in common, how could it work? Besides, the thought of Giovanni's greasy hands on her best friends made Jane sick.  
>"Well, so are you." replied Maura. "Well, except for being an auto mechanic, and we're best friends."<p>

Did Maura really compare her to Giovanni? Oh god! "Yes, but I'm interesting. And, you don't want to sleep with me."  
>Maura didn't reply. She tilted her head to the right and raised her eyebrow.<br>For a moment, Jane forgot to breathe. Why wasn't Maura confirming that she didn't want to sleep with her? And what was that face? Did Maura really want to sleep with her? Jane felt something in her stomach, something fluttering. "Do you?" she asked in disbelief.

"No!" Maura finally replied. "No, but that's my point. That's all I want to do with Giovanni."  
>Jane felt lost for a couple of seconds. So Maura didn't want to sleep with her. But what about the look on the ME's face just a few seconds ago? That wasn't a "no" look. "Why do I care?" Jane asked herself. "Of course she doesn't want to sleep with me. And I don't want to sleep with her. We're friends, and friends don't sleep together. Well, they don't have sex. Maura and I sleep together every night. Ok, Jane, focus. Maura doesn't want to sleep with you and you don't want to sleep with her so stop thinking about it!"<br>The two women went on arguing about that even on the crime scene and while they were going inside the Dirty Robber to ask some questions.

"If I want to go out with Giovanni, I will go out with him!" said Maura to put an end to the discussion.  
>"Over my dead body!" thought Jane and she headed inside the bar.<p>

-o-

As Jane predicted, Maura's interest for Giovanni quickly disappeared, after he tried to lick her face. Unfortunately, Giovanni's interest for Maura didn't seem to go away. He kept texting her and leaving her messages and he even put a picture of her on his Facebook page. Maura wanted to get rid of him, and Jane suggested to tell him the truth, that she was slightly disgusted by the idea of him licking her face, but Maura didn't want to hurt his feelings.

The following day, Maura showed up in the cafeteria with a huge, pink bear with a big golden horn around its neck. She was desperate. Giovanni seemed to think that he and Maura were in a relationship and the ME didn't know what to do to make him leave her alone.  
>"Well, tell him that you were only interested in sleeping with him and then you became uninterested when he tried to be a person and have a conversation." suggested Jane. A part of her couldn't help but being happy that Maura didn't want to sleep with Giovanni anymore.<br>"He says he's waiting on special parts for your mother's car. What if he means MY parts?" whined Maura.  
>Jane wanted to laugh a little, seeing her friend like that. She was hilarious. "The next time I tell you don't, DON'T! Ok?" Then she decided to help Maura get rid of Giovanni. "Go do the second autopsy. I have an idea!"<p>

Maura nodded and was about to leave, carrying the giant bear with her, but she turned around, thanked Jane and kissed Jane with the bear.

An hour later, Maura was performing the autopsy when Jane entered the room with Giovanni.

"Isn't it interesting what Dr. Isles does for a living? She dissects dead bodies!" Maura immediately understood what was Jane's plan. She wanted to gross Giovanni out, so she took the saw, ready to cut the body open.

But Giovanni wasn't disgusted. "Oh man, this is wicked!" he exclaimed. Jane rolled her eyes and dragged Giovanni out. "Hey!" he said to Maura before leaving. "You look great with a saw! Seriously!"

Jane decided to try a different approach. "Uh Giovanni…did Maura tell you that she's pregnant?"  
>"Really?" asked Giovanni. "Man, I love pregnant women! They're so hot!"<br>"Ok, I give up! The man's impossible!" thought Jane frustrated. 

-o-

That same night, Jane and Maura were in bed watching a movie after dinner.  
>"Jane, what do I do? There must be something to make him go away!" Maura complained. She had tried everything. She even tried telling him that she wasn't interested, but the man didn't seem to hear that part.<br>"Can we agree that I'm always right and that you should listen to me more often?" Jane teased her. It was nice being the one who was right for once. It didn't happen often with the ME.  
>"Yes, you were right, I am sorry I didn't listen to you. But now you have to help me! What do I do?"<br>Jane shrugged. "I don't know. I thought the autopsy and the pregnancy would have scared him away but he found both really hot. I really don't know what to do next."  
>Maura sighed. She always scared her dates away, why she couldn't do that to Giovanni?<br>"Jane, I have an idea!" said Maura after a while. "Do you remember Jorge?"  
>"Eww, yes, I do. How can I forget him? Thanks again, by the way!" replied Jane disgusted.<p>

"He was a slightly less creepy version of Giovanni, right? He didn't want to leave you alone, even if you clearly showed him that you weren't interested. But then I let him assume that you were gay and he left you alone."

"You want to make Giovanni assume that you're gay?" asked Jane.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, but I need your help. You have to tell him, because you know I can't lie."  
>"That didn't seem a problem with Jorge."<p>

"Jane, we were working undercover in a lesbian bar. I invited him there, I showed him that you were on a date with a woman and told him that you're not like most of the other girls. Which is true, because you're not. And he assumed you were gay. But now we're not undercover in a lesbian bar and Giovanni is too thick to understand my way of bending the truth. I need you to tell him that we are together." said Maura convinced. She knew it was going to work.  
>"You want me to tell him that we're a couple?" yelled Jane. "Maura, seriously?"<br>"Come on Jane, please. It's the only way to get rid of him. You are a detective, you carry a gun, he wouldn't want to mess with your woman. Please…"

Jane sighed. "Fine. Tomorrow when we get the car I will tell him. But you owe me. Big times!"  
>"Oh Jane, thank you, thank you!" exclaimed Maura, hugging her best friend.<br>"The things I do for you, woman…" muttered Jane.

-o-

The following day, when the case was finally closed, Jane and Maura went to the Gilberti's garage to get Angela's car.

They weren't prepared to find that Giovanni has pimped Angela's car, adding red racing stripes on the body, spinners and a leopard printed fur on the wheel. It was terrible. Jane and Maura looked at each other. Angela was going to lose it!

"So…" Giovanni said to Maura. "You said you wanted to help me under the wood, uh?"  
>Maura faked a smile and looked at Jane. It was time. "I think that…I think that we should…we should just tell him. Don't you…babe?"<p>

"Yes." nodded Jane, getting closer to Maura and putting her arms around her friend's waist. "Yes, I do…babe."  
>Giovanni looked confused. "Tell me what?"<p>

"I really, truly enjoyed your company, but Jane and I…we're…uhm…" started Maura before starting to feel her breath shortened. She really couldn't lie. She squeezed Jane's hand, silently asking her to step in.

"Best friends. Like, more than BFFs." said Jane. She didn't want to say out loud that they were together, she only wanted Giovanni to assume that, so she could always deny if he had the brilliant idea to talk to Angela about that. "We're…LLBFFs." What the fuck? she thought. LLBFF? Really?

"Exactly" nodded Maura. "We're el-biffs."  
>Jane rolled her eyes. Maura didn't really get it. And neither did Giovanni, apparently, considering the confused look on his face.<p>

"Yes…we are…life-long best friends forever. Get it?"  
>Giovanni shook his head. Jane tightened her grip on Maura and smiled.<p>

"Oh…you two batting for the other team?" asked the mechanic.  
>"We are." confirmed Jane.<p>

"Shoot!" Giovanni was really disappointed and he started to say how much the bear, the flowers and the chocolate cost him. Then he arched his eyebrows. "But…didn't you say she was pregnant? Are you…?"  
>"Yes." said Jane. "It's my baby. We're having a baby together. We live together, sleep in the same bed…so…"<br>Well, it wasn't really a lie, was it? They really did live together and they were sleeping in the same bed every night. And Jane offered to help Maura with the baby, so it was like they were having a baby together. Then why did Jane stomach knot when she was saying that? Maybe because since she heard the heartbeat a few weeks before she had dreamed of what would have been like if that baby was really hers. Or maybe because having Maura in her arms like that, saying out loud that they were a couple, had given Jane a weird feeling. It wasn't the first time she had Maura's body pressed against her…damn, the two of them slept in each other's arms every single night. But it was the first time Jane realized how well Maura's body fitted hers and how warm it made her feel, having her best friend, her LLBFF so close.

Giovanni's voice snapped Jane out of her thoughts. He said that he wouldn't charge for the car, rambled something about having thought that Maura was his soul mate and suggested they could have a threesome.

Jane gave him a dirty look. "I don't think so. See, Maura is MY soul mate and I don't like sharing. So, nice seeing you again. Bye bye!" she waved, getting in the car and driving away.

"How could he have thought that we were soul mates? That we had a deep natural connection? The only words he ever said to me were 'you're hot'…" Maura wondered.

"I told you he was an idiot. Thank god he believed us."

"Yes, but still…soul mates? It's more likely that you really are my soul mate, rather than him."  
>Jane stomach knotted again. Man, this couldn't be good. She decided to play it cool, she couldn't show Maura that her words had affected her. "Well, at least I don't want to lick your face!"<p>

The doctor laughed. "Thank you, I appreciate that."  
>They drove to the Rizzoli's household, but Jane stopped the car around the corner.<br>"Everything ok?" asked Maura.  
>Jane shook her head. "How do I tell Ma about this?" she asked pointing to the racing stripes and the fur. "She's gonna freak out!"<p>

-o-

The following Sunday, the Rizzoli were having lunch at Jane and Maura's. The women were in the kitchen, Maura helping Angela with the cooking and Jane sipping a root beer (she really kept the promise not to drink alcohol until Maura couldn't). Angela had been giving them weird looks the whole time and Jane was starting to get annoyed.  
>"Ok, Ma, what is it? Is there something you want to say?" asked Jane when she couldn't take it anymore.<br>"I went to the Gilberti's garage to bring Giovanni some cookies and he told me some interesting things." started Angela. Jane and Maura looked at each other, knowing what was going to come next. "Jane, why did you tell me that you and Maura were just best friends living together because you want to help her with the pregnancy, when you're a couple? Don't you think I deserved to know? And that baby, is it yours too? Am I becoming a grandma?"  
>"Woah, Ma, slow down!" Jane stopped her mother. "We told Giovanni that we were together because he didn't want to leave Maura alone. He was getting really insistent and nothing else worked, so we imagined he would have stopped trying to get in Maura's pants if he thought she was my girl. And it worked. So don't freak out and don't start planning the wedding, ok? Now, why don't you finish here while I go feeding Jo Friday? M, are you coming, I think she's in the garden."<br>Jane grabbed Maura's wrist and dragged her out. She really didn't want to hear her mother talking about her fake love life.

The two women stepped out into the garden to look for Jo Friday. Maura let out a laugh. "You know, it was pretty predictable that Giovanni would have talked to your mother. I don't know why we didn't think about it before. We could have told her before. Thank god she believed us."  
>Jane nodded, then a thought came into her mind and she started laughing. "Man, I really would have wanted to see the look on Ma's face when Giovanni told her you and I were having a baby together!"<p>

And then something happened. Maura turned around, laughing. The wind was blowing lightly, the leaves were falling and Maura's eyes were sparkling and in that moment Jane knew. She knew the reason why she had wanted to consider Maura's baby hers, the reason why her stomach had knotted when she though Maura wanted to sleep with her or when Maura had said that thing about them being soul mates. She knew the reason why she had enjoyed having Maura in her arms so much and why the thought of them being a couple had felt so good to her.

She was in love with Maura. She was in love with that laugh and those eyes, she was in love with that big brain and the talking Google and all of Maura's quirks.

She was in love with Maura and probably she had always been. That explained why she was so jealous of the idea of Maura sleeping with other people and why she had been so eager to be Maura's surrogate girlfriend. It was because deep inside her, she wanted to be Maura's REAL girlfriend. She wanted Maura to sleep with her and no one else. She wanted to be with Maura and have a family with her.

She didn't know how she could have been so clueless about her before. The signs had always been there: the way Jane was softer and warmer around Maura, all the pet names she used to call her, the way Maura could make her do anything she wanted just by looking her in the eyes and smiling, with those adorable dimples showing. The fact that she never really considered dating a guy since Maura entered her life, and the way she had opened up to Maura like she had never done before.  
>That was it, it all made sense. She was in love with her best friend like she never loved anyone else before. Being aware of that scared the hell out of her. Being in love with her best friend complicated things. They were living together, sleeping in the same bed, in each other arms every night. Maura was having a baby and surely didn't return Jane's feelings. So Jane knew that confessing her love was out of question. But Jane also knew that she couldn't hide anything from Maura. The doctor seemed to be able to read Jane's mind. And once she knew, Maura would have never wanted to sleep in the same bed as Jane anymore and probably even living together would become complicated.<p>

So the problem now was: how could she deal with those feelings, without losing the best thing that had ever happened to her?


End file.
